8 Wrestlers Who Quit After Major PPVs
1. CM Punk (Royal Rumble 2014)
Given 'CM Punk' chants continue to shower WWE arenas around America, the uninitiated fan would be forgiven for thinking the failed fighter is still on Vince McMahon's books. He very categorically is not - and won't be again any time soon.
One day removed from Royal Rumble 2014 - an event that seemed to mark the turning point when it came to fan dissatisfaction with WWE's continually self-serving direction - Punk stoked the flames by dramatically flouncing. The Straight Edge Superstar, despite his morals, failed to show for either Raw or SmackDown, with a humbled Vince McMahon forced to tell stockholders that one of his most popular stars was "taking a sabbatical."
It was that rare kind of sabbatical which confounded definition by never ending. Utterly fed up with life in WWE, Punk became the most high profile wrestler since Steve Austin to begrudgingly boot his ball home, citing a litany of grievances amongst which were failing to headline WrestleMania 29, receiving inadequate medical attention resulting in a near fatal staph infection, and generally, Ryback.
Asked what is was like to be retired at 35, Punk responded that "it feels good". Why he then embarked on a painful and ultimately humiliating MMA career we'll never understand.